Edris Arjeh; Ali Masoumi; Mohsen Barzegar; Hamid-Reza Akhavan
Volume 4, Issue 1 , March 2021, , Pages 24-37
Abstract
Pistachios are good sources of some functional compounds that are essential for human health. In addition to consuming dried pistachios (salted/roasted) or used as ingredients in a variety of confectionery and cookery products, consuming fresh pistachios is also gaining a foothold in the market. This ...
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Pistachios are good sources of some functional compounds that are essential for human health. In addition to consuming dried pistachios (salted/roasted) or used as ingredients in a variety of confectionery and cookery products, consuming fresh pistachios is also gaining a foothold in the market. This review presents pre- and postharvest operations to prevent microbial contamination and to preserve physicochemical properties of fresh and processed pistachios for extending their shelf life. There is a potential in pistachios to be contaminated with some undesirable microbes, especially aflatoxin-producing fungi, during pre- and postharvest operations. In this regard, strategies to the prevention of aflatoxin production and the decontamination of produced aflatoxin in pistachios have been of interest to researchers. Different practices including sorting, thermal processing, biological control, ozone treatment, gamma irradiation, ultraviolet irradiation, and cold plasma have been proposed for aflatoxin decontamination. Sorting out damaged pistachios is one of the most important postharvest strategies to reduce aflatoxin levels (up to 98%) that can be done manually or electronically. The majority of pistachios (~85%) are consumed as roasted form that combining roasting with lemon juice improves the elimination of aflatoxin (up to 93%). Drying and packaging are the most important methods to maintain quality and improve the shelf life of pistachios. Laminated and metallized films with vacuum or modified atmosphere are the proper packaging for pistachios.
Fatemeh Rahmani; Azita Faraki
Volume 3, Issue 3 , September 2020, , Pages 13-18
Abstract
One of the best and most important foods in the human diet is milk. So, the presence of nutritional compounds and the absence of harmful components is very remarkable. Mycotoxins are an important toxin in food and feed, they are produced by molds. The presence of mycotoxins in food is an emerging issue ...
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One of the best and most important foods in the human diet is milk. So, the presence of nutritional compounds and the absence of harmful components is very remarkable. Mycotoxins are an important toxin in food and feed, they are produced by molds. The presence of mycotoxins in food is an emerging issue in the world. Among different types of mycotoxins, aflatoxins are so considerable. Different methods are used to reduce them, but the usage of microbial methods such as Lactic acid bacteria, probiotics, and yeasts is a beneficial strategy. The most studied microorganisms are lactic acid bacteria due to their natural presence in milk and also are known as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) substances. It is noteworthy to mention that the bacterial cell walls are so important in binding ability. Also, parameters such as pH, temperature of incubation, type of starter, which is used in the product, concentration of microorganisms in milk, and the level of toxin can affect the efficiency of microorganisms. Hence, this review was aimed to investigate the results of studies about the effectiveness of microbial methods on the adsorption and reduction of aflatoxin in milk. Also compares the effect of microorganisms, influencing factors, and mechanisms of these methods.
